Things I've Loved in 2023

Beginnings don't traditionally start at the end, but my first blog post aims to take stock of what has been a whirlwind of a year and highlight the things that have brought me joy this year. It wouldn't be right to do this, however, without acknowledging the undeniable success of the creative writing workshops in Ashford. What began as a seed of an idea took root extremely quickly and before I knew it, I'd arrived at Lowkey Taproom with my bag of writing materials and low and behold, people actually turned up! I measure success through emotion - I'm a writer after all - and I judge this to be a success by the sheer joy that has come from facilitating these workshops. I have been privileged to have met some incredible people, who have all brought their raw, exceptional talent to every session. I leave each workshop with a smile on my face, a head bursting with new words and a heart full of warmth. Which brings me to the first thing I have loved in 2023:

Community

Despite social media trying to deny the existence of community spirit in Ashford, I am here to tell you that there are bags of it! Rediscovering community has been the most rewarding part of 2023, not least because of the amount of people I have discovered who are willing to put their time and effort into fostering pockets of creativity in the town.

If the music community is your thing then look no further than Ashford's own Whiskey and Wine and Ordinary Findings - both guaranteed to give you a great night out. Both can usually be found performing in two of Ashford's best venues, Low Key Taproom and Valeries

For more creative loveliness, check out Made in Ashford for homemade gifts and crafty workshops. They also do a Swig and Stitch workshop at Lowkey Taproom once a month.

Writing

This seems an obvious choice to add to the list of things I love, but not when you consider that until halfway through 2023, I hadn't picked up a pen in months. A fear of putting pen to paper, a feeling of having too many words in my head made it incredibly difficult to actually write about the things I loved. Thankfully a writing workshop with the inspirational Laurie Bolger helped me start the process and my own workshops enabled me to keep the process going in the company of new friends.

A former night owl, I switched up my daily routine in the summer and 6am became my time to write. Letting go of perfect and enjoying the process as much as the output has made writing one of my favourite things to do in 2023.

Reading

Reading Nicki Herring's This Place of Happiness was a joy this year. What makes it even better is that Nicki is local to Ashford and a regular contributer to my writing workshops. The novel deals with the story of Rabia as she returns to her Grandmother's home in the Ottomon Palace. Histories collide as the past impedes on the present and tragic stories intertwine. An utterly stunning read!

I discovered Catlin Moran this year and immediately made her my guilty pleasure. How to Build a Girl was a nostalgic trip down memory lane as a girl growing up in 90s grunge culture. Very sweary and provocative but its one of the few books that has made me laugh out loud in public.

I fell in love with New England in 2023 and so Elizabeth H Winthrop's December was a great way to finish the year and reflect of my memories of New England landscapes.

Poetry

2023 will go down as the year I fell in love with poetry. Not only have I written several poems, I had the pleasure of beginning the year at the Faversham Literary Festival watching the incredible Hollie McNish deliver poems from her upcoming poetry collection Lobster

As previously mentioned, attending workshops with Laurie Bolger was what gave me back my passion and desire to write. Check out her website for examples of her poetry, including her up and coming pamphlet Makeover which can be purchased from the Emma Press. The Emma Press sells absolutely stunning pamphlets that make great gifts for loved ones.

Other poets I have enjoyed reading include Gail McConnellSimon Armitage and Kerri ni Dochartaigh and her beautiful hybrid of poetry and memoir Cacophony of Bone

Travel

This year I was lucky enough to spend 2 weeks of Autumn travelling round Maine, New England and Vermont over the Halloween period. The reds and oranges and burnt umbers feel different here somehow; the colours have a hypnotic effect as you drive between states. Nothing could prepare me for the vastness of the landscape, especially driving from Maine to Vermont where the mountains verge on sublime.

For anyone who has ever experienced Halloween in America, you'll know that streets become virtual theme parks for a night with costumes, lighting and animatronics taking over the wood clad suburban houses. We were lucky enough to land in Bangor for Halloween, the home town of one of my literary heroes, Stephen King. We also passed through Salem, where the tragic history of witch trials and burials attracts fans of the occult from all over the world. The charming little town feels too beautiful for the horrors of its past, but there many pockets of loveliness, which are gems in their own right.

We started and ended our trip in Boston, a city close to my heart and one that is always preferable to New York. Despite its vastness, Boston never felt busy or overwhelming. The juxtaposition of metropolis and coastal charm gives this city the best of both worlds and you could easily sit by the harbour with a selection of Boston's finest seafood and feel a million miles away from urban life.

Music

I've been pushing myself outside of my comfort zone slowly in 2023. It's been a really interesting process putting together playlists that can be used in my writing workshops and using music to create an ambient and calm environment. You can find my writing playlist here

Thanks to my yearly trip to Camp Bestival I have also rediscovered my love for Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Her new album Hana is Japanese blossom, summer cocktails and mountain top snow all in one. It's an ethereal, quite grown up album and has been the backdrop to many of my own writing sessions in 2023.